Bamboo Cloud

Created for 2023’s Archtober celebration and NYCxDesign’s Design Pavilion, Bamboo Cloud explores the possibilities of bamboo as a large-scale construction material and alternative to materials like steel and concrete, which come with a higher environmental impact. Woven together in a manner reminiscent of baskets, Bamboo Cloud inspires viewers to consider not only using unexpected materials in building, but also unexpected forms. The strips of bamboo, which remain strong even at just 1/4” x 1/4”, allow for lightweight and sustainable construction to also take on fluid, organic forms not typically associated with the urban landscape.

To emphasize both the exterior and interior shapes of the bamboo forms, Nanometer and Color Kinetics provided lighting from below, filling the forms with a glow from within as the light reflects off the interior planes, and making them appear to float above the plaza and seating area.

To achieve even lighting along the entirety of the curved bases, Nanometer used NanoFlex fixtures that provide seamless lighting and conform easily to the irregular shape. Thanks to the extruded silicone structure of the fixtures, they can also withstand weather in their outdoor setting.